The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-06-30
Something for the People of
Louisiana to Remember.
Shreveport Times.

THOROUGHLY AND THERE rs BUT ONE WAY
TO SUCCEED, BUT 1T WILL BE NECESSARY
TO DO SOME THINGS WHICH ARE VERY RE-
PUGNANT TO ME, AND WHICH WILL MAKE.
ME THE MOST UNPOPULAR MAN IN THE
STATE. BUT HAVE MADE UP MY MIND
TO MAKE THE SACRIFICE, AND WILL syc-
oEED." Gen. r. T. Nichou to Hon.
II. J. Cunningham, ncy Attorney
General.
We ask the people who read the
Times, and who believe it to be sin
cere and honest journal, to give care
full attention to the words we have
quoted in the above extract. They
are the words ola patriot and Demo
,crat; they are words of MAN! At
the critical turning point in the long
history of our dark days, when good
government was eclipsed, and the on
-ly bright spot on our political horizon
was the hope that Nichols, the stan
dard- bearer of the people, would in
the end succeed, the patriotic utter
ance we have quoted came from the
lips of the only man in the State
whose self-sacrifice would be of any
avail in furthering the interest of the
people. Here was the governor Of
the State--the representative of the
virtue and intelligence and chivalry of
Louisiana, the man to whom all eyes
were turned for deliverance from the
thraldom of ten long, weary years,
i who saw clearly that the road to
success lay through course of con-
duct, to pursue which would render
the governor the most unpopular man
in the State. Did Gen. Nichols he's
itate? Did he seek to retain his pop.
ularity, and endanger the success of
I good government? No. He APP
pointed Republicans-obnoxieus ones,
toto office, in order that he
might placate Northern antagouism,
which was forever clamoring that the
installation of the Democratic govern
ment in Louisiana meant humiliation
to the negro and the Republican par
! ty throughout the State. And those
who can recall those days know full
well that the best, the wisest and the
bravest of our Democratic chieftains,
whether from the prairies of the At
takapas, the valleys of the Mississippi,
the Red and the Ouachita, or the
hills of north Louisiana, urged the
pursuance of the very policy for
which General Nichols is censured
to-day. In those days of peril and
disquiet, no patriotic man in Louisi-
ana retired to his couch free from the
, fear that the morning would bring
news of the recognition of the Pack
ard government, and the complete
subjugation of the people Of the
State. And every day the question
was asked in an 1indertone, sswhat is
the best thing for us to do?" It was
at this juncture that General Nichols
saw that the wisest move to make
was the recognition of the Radical
negro element in the State SO as to
remove from the Northern mind the
the fear of the humiliation of the me-
gro, which fear alone operated to
keep us from enjoying the full fruits
of the victory of 1876. And did time
vindicate the wisdom of General
Nichols courses We won the fight,
did we not? And we hold The State
} government to-day, do we nots Yes;
time has indicated the wisdom of
General Nichols, but it has brought
some curious changes. In the year
, of Our Lord, 1887 would you believe
it?), Nichols is attacked on the very
policy that won the fight ten years
ago!
} Yes, States as well as republics are
sometimes ungrateful; the sacrifice
: of ten years ago is framed as a bill Of
Indictment to-day, and he who sacri-
| feed himself Is tn ha tried for M bin =.